Fabric feeder for stretching machines with preliminary stretching



s. DORFMAN 1,734,160

FABRIC FEEDER FOR STRETCHING MACHINES WITH PRELIMINARY STRETCHING Nov. 5, 1929.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Juna 21, 1928 B Q, L w

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5. DORFMAN FABRIC FOR STRETGHING MACHINES WITH PRELIMINARY STRETCHING Filed June 21, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED STATES earner x11.

SIDNEY DORFMAN, 0F BRONX, NEW YORK FABRIC FEEDER FOR STRETCHING MACHINES WITH PRELIMINARY STBETCHING Application filed June 21,

1 same to the main stretching machine.

" Another object of my invention is the provision of a feeder for fabric stretching machines of a simple and comparatively inexpensive construction, yet durable and efficient in its operation.

'A' further object of my invention is the provision of an attachment of this nature for fabric stretching machines which can be readily installed in any of the existing machines without'requiring material changes in their construction. 1

' These and other objectsand advantages of my invention will become more fully known as the description thereof proceeds and will then be specifically defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a feeder and preliminary stretcher for fabric stretching machines constructed according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

35 Figure 3 is a cross-section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure Figure 2;

As illustrated my novel and improved feeder consists of a base plate or bed on whicha bracket 11 is mounted, near one end thereof having a horizontally disposed arm 12 serving as guide for a comparatively short vertical shaft 13 carrying a sprocket wheel 14 over which a chain is guided by means of which the shaft 13 can be rotated from any source of power in a well known customary manner.

The lower end of shaft 13 carries a bevel 50 gear 15 in mesh with a bevel gear 16 on a 4 is a cross-section on line 4-4 of 1928. Serial No. 287,223.

horizontal stub shaft 17 journalled in a block 18 on the base.

In close proximity to and in frontof block 18 shaft 17 carries algear 19 in mesh with a gear 20 on a shaft journalled also in block 18. The bevel gear 15 on shaft 13 meshes also with a bevel gear 21 on a shaft carrying a cam 22 adapted to engage a cam plate 23 suspended from bolts 24, 25 projecting from the side face of a fork-member 26 and adapted to travel with their reduced ends in elongated slots 27, 28 of the cam plate 23 and to be held in adjusted position by means of nuts 29,30.

The shaft 31 of bevel gear 21 and cam 22 carries'also on the outside a disk 32 to which eccentrically the rod 33 is secured the other end is movably attached to a shaft 34 projecting laterally from a block or plate 35 supporting one end ofthe fork member 26. The inner end of the fork member 26 carries an arm 36 having its end angularly downwardly bent, as at 37, and secured to the upper member 38 of a feeder, the lower face of which is serrated, as at 39 and adapted to co-operate v with the upper serrated face 40 of another member 41 fastened to an arm 42 extending from the lower end of block or plate135.

A strong spiralspring 43 is attached at its upper end to a screw in the side face of arm 36 while its lower end is secured to a screw in the side face of arm 42 and the spring has a tendency to draw both feeder members 38 and 41 normally together, but allowing a separation as and for a purpose later to be described.

In juxtaposition to the mechanism described so far, the bed 10 carries also bearings 44 for a lower feed roller 45, with which co-opcrates an upper feed roller 46 on a shaft 47 journalled at its inner end in a bearing block 48 hingedly secured, asat 49 to a transverse block 50 on the bed 10. The block 50 has upstanding side walls 51 which are provided near their upper ends with arcuate slots 52 in which pins 5 3. projecting from the side of bearing block 48 are guided with a certain play allowing a raising and lowering of the upper roller and its bearing block 48 from and against the'lower roller 45. The bearing 54 of the shaft 47 of the upper roller block 48.

r .A fabric guide 56 is rotatably secured by the same to engage or release the'fabric fed between rollers 45, 46 to the fabric stretching machine.

The shaft 47 for the upper roller 46 carries atits inner end a gear 59 in mesh with a gear 60 on the shaft for the lower roller 45 and in juxtaposition to said gear 60 its shaft carries also a gear'61 in mesh wlthan intermediate gear 62 on a shaft 63 .WlllCll meshes with gear 19 on shaft 17. i

The operation of my apparatus w1ll be quite clear from the above descr1pt1on and by inspection ofthe accompanying drawings. Upon the rotation of shaft 13 by any source of power, the rotation of the bevel gears Wlll bring the cam 22 into engagement with the cam face 64 of cam plate 23, and elevate arm 36 and the upper feed member 38 to allow the insertion of the fabric, the end of which is then guided between rollers 45 and 46 and will during the rotation of these rollers by the intermediary of the gear system be fed to the stretching machine while guide 56 will keep the fabric issuing from between the rollers against rumpling and wrinkling.

It will be clearthat the fabric during its feeding between the serrated faces of mem bers 38 and 41 and between rollers 45 and 46 will receive a'preliminary stretching.

It will be understood that I have shown and described as an example of the many possible ways to practically construct my apparatus, its preferred formonly, and that I may make such changes in its construction as come within the scope of the appended claims without departure from the spirit of my invention and the principles involved.

" Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Feeder attachment for fabric stretching machines, comprising a pair of co-operating gripping members having oppositely disposed serrated gripping faces, arms to which said gripping members are secured, a means for normally holding said serrated faces in engagement, and means for automatically closing said gripping faces, over a piece of fabric, operating means therefor, a pair of rollers adapted to be operated from said operating means to feed the fabric from between said gripping members to the fabric stretching machine. 7 I

2. Feeder attachment for fabric stretching machines comprising a plurality of co-operating fabric gripping means, a pair of arms to which said gripping means are attached in spaced relation to each other, a spring for normally closing said gripping means over a piece of fabric between them, a revolving vertical shaft, a means actuated from said shaft to operate said arms, a pair of feed rollers adapted to be manually separated from each other and operated from said means .actuated by said shaft to feed the fabric from between said gripping means to the stretching machine, and a means combined with said rollers to keep the fabric smooth.

3; In" a feeder attachment for fabric stretching machines a vertical revolving shaft, a bevel gear thereon, a plurality'of bevel gears in mesh with said shaft operated bevel gear, shafts for said bevel gears, a cam on one of said shafts, a cam-plate, a pair of arms connected at one end, a pair of fabric grippers at the opposite separated ends of said arm, said cam-plate movably attached to said arms, a disk juxtaposed to'said cam, a

connecting rod attached to said disk: and, to

the connection of said arms, for operating said grippers to feed a piece of fabric, a spring fornormally holding saidgrippers .in engagement over a piece of fabric, and a, means operated from said gripper operating means for feeding the'fabric from said grippers-to frame rotatably attached to said rod for smoothing the fabric fed by said rollers to p the stretchingmachine. 1 s

5. A fabric feeder attachment for stretching machines comprising a bed, a bracket mounted thereon,a horizontally disposed arm on said bracket, a short vertical shaft guided through said arm, a. sprocket wheel on, said shaft adapted to be revolved from a source of power, a bevel gear on the lower end of said shaft, a horizontal shaft, bevel gears. on the ends of said horizontal shaft in mesh with said bevel gear on the lower end ofsaid vertical shaft, a horizontal shaft angularly'dis posedto said first named horizontalshaft, a bevel gear, on said shaft in mesh with the bevel gear on said vertical shaft, a train of gears operated from said last named bevel gear and its shaft gripping means adapted to be operated from said Vertical shaft and bevel gears, and a pair of rollers adapted to be operated from said train of gears for rotation to feed a piece of fabric to. the stretcher.

6. A fabric feeding attachment for stretching machines, comprising a bed, a bracket mounted thereon, a vertical revolving shaft held by said bracket, a train of bevel gears adapted to be operated from said shaft, a pair of grippers, a fork member therefor, cam means for operating said grippers to gripover and release the fabric, a spring for normally keeping the parts of said arms and said grippers in engagement over a piece of fabric but allowing a separation, and a pair of separable rollers to which said frabric is fed from the grippers, a train of gears adapted to be operated from said train of bevel gears to operate said rollers to feed the fabric from between said grippers to the stretching machine, and a weighted frame associating with said rollers to keep the fabric smooth during its feeding operation.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York this 20th day of June, A. D. 1928.

SIDNEY DORFMAN. 

